Hand-painted ceramic bowl · Botanical leaf

Egyptian hand-painted ceramic bowl from the Fayoum Pottery School. Wheel-thrown from Nile Valley clay, the tapered footed form is decorated with abstract botanical leaf motifs in forest green with dark blue accents - elegant brushwork that celebrates the natural beauty of the Fayoum oasis. Suitable for serving appetisers, side dishes, or as a decorative piece. 

The Craft. Each bowl is wheel-thrown from clay sourced from the Nile Valley in Aswan and shaped on the potter's wheel into the distinctive tapered footed form. Once dried,  botanical motifs are applied entirely by hand using fine brushes, building the abstract leaf forms in layered strokes of forest green and dark blue before applying a clear glaze that fixes both colour and line in a single firing. The precision of brushwork reflects years of practice and a deep familiarity with the Fayoum visual language, one rooted in the oasis landscape of palms, water birds and desert flora.

The Heritage. Although pottery-making was widespread in Egypt during Pharaonic times, by the late 20th century decreasing demand had led to the craft's near disappearance. Life in the farming village of Tunis in the verdant Fayoum oasis took a dramatic turn in the 1980s when Swiss-born potter Evelyne Porret made the village her home. Together with her husband Michel Pastore, she opened the Fayoum Pottery School, inspiring the village children to tap into their creative potential. Today, those students have opened their own workshops, exhibiting true artistic talent and reverence for their mentor whilst keeping the ancient craft alive.

The Maker. Rawya ‘Abd al-Qader is a skilled ceramicist and the first woman in Fayoum to have her own workshop. She started playing with clay at the age of 12 and under Evelyne’s tutelage grew into a serious artist, exhibiting abroad already at the age of 16. Rawya trained others in the village, including her younger brothers, and has served as a role model of determination for young women and girls in the village, with at least nine women potters now working in Tunis, including Rawya’s daughter, Sara.